COLUMBUS, Ohio - Winners of four in a row and six of its last season, the ninth-ranked Ohio State wrestling team invades the Bryce Jordan Center for a nationally-televised showdown against No. 1 Penn State on Friday at 6 p.m. The dual can be seen live on BTN with Tim Johnson and Jim Gibbons on the call and Shane Sparks as the sideline reporter.

BUCKEYES IN A NUTSHELL• Following a 2-0 trip to the state of Indiana last weekend, Ohio State is 9-2 overall, 6-1 in the Big Ten and ranked No. 9 in this week's USA Today/NWCA poll.• Eight Buckeyes are ranked in their respective weight classes in this week's InterMat polls, led by the foursome of Nathan Tomasello (#1, 125), Bo Jordan (#2, 165), Kyle Snyder (#2, 285) and Micah Jordan (#4, 141), who are all inside of the top-five.• Four All-Americans appear in the Buckeyes' probable lineup for Friday -- Tomasello, B. Jordan, Snyder and Kenny Courts. The group has a combined record of 41-6.• Tomasello's 33-match winning streak is the longest in the nation among 125 pounders and the fourth longest regardless of weight class. During that span, he has defeated 17 ranked opponents and won 22 contests via bonus points.• Friday's dual will be Ohio State's sixth this year against a ranked opponent and the third vs. a Top 10 foe.• Tomasello, B. Jordan, M. Jordan and Snyder have a combined record of 45-1.• In the Buckeyes' nine dual wins, they have won 58 total matches, 31 via bonus points.• Ohio State has outscored its opponents 266-165 this season and has put 30 points on the board on two occasions -- Nov. 13 vs. Virginia and Jan. 24 vs. Michigan State.

STATISTICALLY SPEAKING• B. Jordan currently leads the team with 49 dual points scored (5 F, 1 TF, 2 MD). Tomaselllo is a close second with 45 points (4 MD, 4 TF, 1 F).• In 328 total matches, Ohio State wrestlers are scoring first nearly 66 percent of the time. They've also outscored their opponents 1,025-557 in the first period.• The Buckeyes have nearly twice as many takedowns as their opponents (631 for, 280 against).• Ohio State wrestlers have combined to outscore their opponents 2,200-1,456 in 328 matches with a .633 winning percentage. The Buckeyes are averaging 6.7 points per match.• 121 matches have been won via decision, 39 by major decisions, 29 technical falls have been registered and the Buckeyes have pinned 34 opponents.

SCOUTING PENN STATERanked No. 1 in this week's USA Today/NWCA poll, the Nittany Lions are coming off a 35-7 victory against No. 8 Michigan. Penn State boasts nine probable starters who are ranked, including six that are inside the top five of their respective weight classes. Three of them are ranked No. 1 -- Zain Retherford (149 lbs.), Jason Nolf (157 lbs.) and Bo Nickal (174 lbs.).

THE OHIO STATE/PENN STATE SERIESPenn State holds a 17-12 edge in the all-times series, which dates back to 1956. From 2008-2010, Ohio State won four straight match-ups, including a 33-7 victory in State College on Feb. 6, 2009. Last year's win for the Buckeyes broke a three-match winning streak for Penn State.

LAST TIME VS. PENN STATESeventh-ranked Ohio State won six of 10 matches, including momentum-swinging wins at 184 and 197 pounds, to knock off third-ranked and defending national champion Penn State last season in front of 6,109 fans at St. John Arena.

BUCKEYES FROM PENNSYLVANIAWhile Courts is the only member of Ohio State's probable lineup hailing from Pennsylvania (Harrisburg), Ohio State signed one of the top-ranked recruit in the state this past November -- Luke Pletcher. Pletcher, from Greater Latrobe, Pa. and Latrobe High School, is the No. 6 overall recruit, No. 2 at 132 pounds and is seeking his third Pennsylvania state title this winter.

A CONSISTENT WINNEROhio State has been ranked in the USA Today/NWCA Coaches Poll for 70 consecutive weeks dating back to the 2011-12 season. Fifty six of those weeks it has been in the Top 10, including a program-high No. 3 ranking for six weeks in 2014-15 and four weeks in 2015-16.

BACK POINTS• The combination of Tomasello, M. Jordan, B. Jordan and Snyder have combined to go 14-1 this year vs. ranked opponents (Tomasello 7-0; M. Jordan 3-1, B. Jordan 3-0, Snyder 1-0).• Ohio State has won 12 of its last 14 duals away from St. John Arena and is 5-1 mark this year (including a dual vs. Michigan State at Walsh Jesuit HS).• In his 10th season, Tom Ryan-coached wrestlers have earned eight individual national championships, the most for a head coach in school history. Additionally, Ryan is the only coach to earn InterMat National Coach of the Year three times in his career (2008, 2009, 2015).• Kenny Courts needs seven more wins to become the 20th member of the school's 100-win club. Johnni DiJulius joined the group earlier this year.